‘Revenge’ Season 2 Casts Jennifer Jason Leigh as Emily’s Mom

ABC’s Golden Globe-nominated drama Revenge may have ended its first season run with a blast (literally), but the successful suspense thriller promises to start the second season by upping the level of excitement with the introduction of Jennifer Jason Leigh as Emily Thorne’s (Emily VanCamp) mysterious mother.

The Single White Female star has been cast as the long thought dead mother of the enigmatic Emily and is described as a “volatile and dangerous woman who suffers from some serious mental issues.”

Coming fresh off a recurring role on Weeds as Jill Price-Gray, Leigh’s character will join the series this September in its season two opener titled “Bound,” which will also feature the fate of the devious socialite Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe) following the explosive (again, literally) season one finale.

Revenge creator Mike Kelley had this to say about Leigh’s new role as mommy-dearest:

“What we really want to do is find the perfect actor for the role. It would be really great for her to be as formidable as Madeleine [Stowe], but it’s a completely different part. So we’re going to need somebody that can play volatile and dangerous; all of the scariest parts of Emily’s personality are going to be present and apparent and a little bit out of control in her mother. But at the same time, what works so great for Emily is that sweet façade, so this woman needs to feel like she’s got potential for kindness. You look at her and you don’t know that she’s as damaged as she is inside. But you’ll quickly learn that this is a very dangerous person.”

Emily’s mother isn’t the only blast from her past this season – British actor Barry Sloane (Hollyoaks) will be playing Ethan, a mysterious man connected to her in some way. Other characters expected to be introduced this year will be Eve, Ashley’s new protégée; Dr. Thomas, who operates one of the top recovery centers in the Hamptons; Conrad’s ex-wife and kids; and Victoria’s mother.

Check out the Revenge season 2 poster below (click to enlarge):

For those who don’t know, Revenge – inspired by Alexandre Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo – follows the vengeful mission of Amanda Clarke, who returns to the Hamptons under the assumed name of Emily Thorne to take revenge on the wealthy aristocrats that framed her now-deceased father for the bombing of a US passenger plane.

Revenge debuted Wednesdays at 10pm last year and became the highest rated television series in the hour for ABC since Lost. This year, Revenge will take over the Sunday 9pm timeslot left open by Desperate Housewives.